V-Hawks get within a win of tourney
championship second year in a row
The Viterbo University volleyball team’s season fell just short of a national title.
The second-ranked V-Hawks lost 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-15) to No. 3-ranked Missouri Baptist in the NAIA tournament semifinals.
It was the second consecutive season Viterbo’s season ended in the Final Four. The V-hawks finish 40-5 – a school-tying-record for wins.
Missouri Baptist, which lost to the V-Hawks 3-2 on Sept. 5, went on to lose in the NAIA championship 3-0 to fourth-ranked Columbia.
In the semifinals with Missouri Baptist (39-5), Viterbo hit just .134 led by Natalie Geidel’s 12 kills. Amelia Grahn had 25 assists, while both Jennifer Krentz and Jess Jerde had 10 kills.
Krentz, the libero, who was named to the all-tournament team, wraps up her career the all-time digs leader at Viterbo with 3,105. Jordan Blaken (2009-12) had the previous record (2,807). Also, Krentz’s 911 digs this season is third most. She also has the single-season record in that category with 950 last year.
Geidel’s 558 kills this season is fourth-most in a season behind Alicia Olson, who holds the top three spots the last three seasons, led by 855 last year.
Grahn’s 1,717 assists puts her at second-most in a single season, just short of Brianna Brinkman’s record of 1,722, set last year.